📖 Meaning
This idiom describes clouds and rain that seem to carry sorrow and resentment, evoking a melancholic atmosphere. It is also used metaphorically to represent the sadness and longing of parting between lovers.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Song dynasty poet Wang Yucheng's ci poem 'Dian Jiang Chun · Gan Xing' (点绛唇·感兴), in which he wrote '雨恨云愁，江南依旧称佳丽' — though the rain and clouds seemed steeped in grief, the Jiangnan region remained celebrated for its beauty. The renowned Song lyricist Liu Yong later employed the same expression in his ci 'Qu Yu Guan' (曲玉管), lamenting how past romantic gatherings had turned into '雨恨云愁' — the bitterness of separation — when reunions proved impossible to arrange.
💡 Example Usage
别后多年，她心中的雨恨云愁始终难以消解。
Years after their parting, the sorrow and longing in her heart remained impossible to dispel.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 雨恨云愁
- Pinyin: yǔ hèn yún chóu
- Literal Translation: rain, hate, cloud, sorrow
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4